As Red Bull Crashed Ice returns to St. Paul's Cathedral Hill this week for three days of hair-raising downhill racing spectacle, thousands of residents and visitors have united behind one all-consuming question: Where the heck do I park?

Good question. There will be no public parking on site at all, and the public is being encouraged to carpool to parking ramps and shuttle locations.

The answer to the parking conundrum and myriad related questions can be found on the city's official Crashed Ice website, Stpaul.gov/CrashedIce. Extensive road closures and parking restrictions begin Wednesday on John Ireland Boulevard, and increase through Saturday along surrounding streets.

This is the third consecutive year the ice cross downhill world championship has come to Minnesota's Capitol City for the second leg of the world tour. Athletes and media are expected from the U.S., Canada, Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Scotland, Russia and elsewhere, and if last year's huge crowds were any indication, an estimated 115,000 spectators will likely join them.

If you're planning on being part of the fun, here's what you need to know.

Advertisement

WHAT IS IT

Beginning Thursday, 200 downhill racers -- 100 of them from the United States and 100 from abroad -- will brave an icy ramp full of hairpin turns, jumps and slides. Elimination rounds and a team event serve as the prelude to the finals on Saturday night. At 1,410 feet long, it features a 131-foot vertical drop and "nasty U-turn" that officials say makes the course tougher than last year's.

THE SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY: St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and two priests from St.

Clint Massey, center, of Fridley skates just in front of Martin Klco of Slovakia as the jump off the bridge over John Ireland Boulevard in front of the St. Paul Cathedral during the men's finals at the Red Bull Crashed Ice course in St. Paul on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (Pioneer Press: Ben Garvin)

Thomas Academy and St. Paul Seminary will brave part of the course at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY: Each U.S. athlete gets two runs during the National Shoot-Out Run at 2 p.m. The top 32 move onto the elimination round Friday evening.

FRIDAY: The International Shoot-Out begins at noon. Elimination rounds cut the international herd in half beginning at 3 p.m. The 64 athletes can boost their personal rankings during team qualifiers at 6 p.m. and team finals at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY: Gates open to the general public at 5 p.m. The finals will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9 p.m., with 64 athletes competing in bracketed heats until a top finisher is crowned. The Eagle Street Grille will host the official Red Bull Crashed Ice After Party in its warming tent across from the Xcel Energy Center from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

TRANSPORTATION

From Alary's in downtown St. Paul to Two Stooge's in Fridley, 50 hotels and restaurants are sponsoring shuttles from their doors to the race. The full list of private shuttles is online at www.redbullcrashedice.com/shuttles.

For safety and security reasons, there will be no street parking in the event area or neighborhoods around Cathedral Hill during the event. Police will ticket and tow. Downtown parking ramps are listed online at www.smart-trips.org/parking.

-- Lot K at 12th Street W and Cedar St: Free parking and shuttle to site

-- Lot H, I & J at 12th Street W and St.

Peter: Free parking and shuttle to site

-- Centennial at Cedar St and Columbus St: Free parking and shuttle to site

Shuttles will be dropping off passengers on John Ireland Blvd and Kellogg Blvd. Shuttles and parking lots are available for the event on Saturday only.

ONES TO WATCH

The top-ranked American in the sport is Cameron Naasz of Lakeville, a graduate of St. Cloud State University. Naasz won the race in Lausanne, Switzerland, in March 2013 and placed third overall in the world rankings last year.

When the competition came to St. Paul in January 2013, Naasz finished behind Canadian Kyle Croxall, who took first, and his brother, Scott.

Austria's Marco Dallago finished first this year during the opening leg of the world tour in Helsinki, Finland at the beginning of February.